108. So Little Time

i just wanted to say that i had one of the best weekends of my life before i forget it all. it's a shame that i don't have the time to go into details or take care of my grammar so here goes...

it was an AFS WE, obviously & we all went up to Wilmereux, right by the Ch'tis who live in Bergues. I was picked up at the McDo parking lot with Ari by AL & PE & from there, we headed off to Quick to pick up two French & a Canadian. 2.5h later, we arrived at a dead grey northern-most tip of the country & us girls dropped off our stuff at a chambre d'hôte. We headed for the cabins.

We arrived in an apartment with a total of 23 AFSers. Fait la bise with everyone, 5 of which were newbies. Played an ice-breaker (say your name, do a gesture), kicked some ball on the balcony, bought postcards by the seashore, wrote a postcard to myself, simulated potential host family situations, ate a snack, kicked some more ball, ate pizza, played more soccer on the field & went to a bar.

Since we were so many, there weren't enough places in the cars to take us all at once so we had to do shifts. I volunteered to stay behind with five others & we chilled/bonded on the balcony, under the stars for half an hour. Got into a car with a guy I might not forget. Got to the bar. Got a drink. Jiggied. Met a guy I probably won't forget. Then met a guy I definitely won't forget. It was freezing so he gave me his sweater. shucks.

Got back to the B&B. Cri, being the curious animal she is, decided to go through the stuff in the room, i.e. a wooden box with an old crispy yellow ripped up letter. She puts the thing together & reads it with Ari to find out that 3 days after reading the thing, you die. They scream. Great, just great. They want to read the prayer aloud. I say no. Jus comes down & rereads the thing & finds out that it's a "good curse" type thing. Ok. Phew. We all jump into a puzzled-together-with-two-twin-beds bed, me & my girlies. Chatted a little & fell asleep feeling like a sardine. Woke up to Ari & her lost wallet & cell phone. She thinks she left them at the bar. I say don't worry, they're probably in the car.

Breakfast. Croissants & nasty goat cheese-FLAVOURED Babybel. Yuck.

They're in the car, her wallet & her cellphone. We celebrate. We go straight to the Aquarium & spend the morning there. Ari, Cri & I watch a 3D movie starring Jacques Cousteau, just the three of us in the theatre. Génial. Touched sting rays & really big fish with Canadian boy. & saw a million other fish. Clown fish, jelly fish. Sharks, hermit crabs. & then I ate a lot of fish. Too much fish. I think I became a fish.

Again, not enough cars so again, I volunteer. I run in the pouring rain with 5 others back to the cabins & I'm soaked. Nasty. We discuss our fears for the return & after, the WE is over. We debrief & the only complaint is that no one wants to leave. EVERYONE wants to stay. I cry.

It's crazy you know, how we can just bond like that. When I cried, all of the other 22 came & we group hugged around me. That's how much bonding can happen in 24h & that's when I realized that the BAC isn't worth giving up the rest of my time here. It's stupid. I told my friends at school & they don't get it. They think I'm crazy, irrational. I get them though. You have to live it. You have to be an AFSer. No offense, I don't want to discriminate but you just can't get it unless you get it. I'm glad SOMETHING woke me up from my madness. I don't want to leave here with regrets.

We played a shooting game during the 3h ride home & I had a blast. Got home at 9 & straight away, added everyone on msn.

Monday night, watched 2h of TV with host sis instead of studying for my exam. I had a blast.

It's important to spend moments that help you remember the POINT of living. If I did ALL that in 24h, what can I do in a life? Studying sucks. But it's calling me...

[bt]